LeBron James to miss 2nd exhibition game

LeBron James will sit out Friday's exhibition game against the Indiana Pacers as he recovers from a sprained left ankle.

James got hurt on Sept. 27 when he stepped on a teammate's foot in practice. He took part in Cleveland's workout on Thursday and the club wanted to see how he responded before deciding if he would try to go against the Pacers. He's going to sit again as a precaution, the team said.

The three-time champion also missed Wednesday's preseason opener against Atlanta. Cleveland next plays on Tuesday against Chicago.

Iman Shumpert will miss Friday's game with a sprained left foot that is expected to keep him out for a week or more.

The Cavaliers open the regular season on Oct. 17 against the Boston Celtics.

Batum says some French fans are celebrating his injury

Hornets guard Nic Batum says some basketball fans in his native France are happy he tore a ligament in his left elbow.

Batum says some on social media are still angry he decided not to play for the French national team this summer for the first time since joining the NBA. Batum decided not to play because he wanted to focus on working on particulars of his game and the Hornets' upcoming regular season.

Batum will miss a minimum of six to eight weeks with the injury.

Batum says some "people in France are happy about it" and that it's "like I deserve it," although he says many in France and the U.S. have also been supportive.

Kings' Harry Giles out until at least January

Sacramento Kings rookie Harry Giles will not play until at least January while he rehabs his surgically repaired knees.

Giles is the 20th overall draft pick out of Duke. He missed summer league to rest his left knee. The team said Friday he will work with the training staff to build strength and endurance. He will participate in some "controlled" parts of practice.

Giles had an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee last October after a ligament tear during high school in 2013. He also tore a ligament in his right knee in 2015.

The Kings say they are taking a "methodical approach" and Giles will be "reevaluated routinely throughout the program."